In My Daughter's Eyes
by Kristin Chenoweth Love
Summary: GYPSY fanfic! She was beautiful, she was her beautiful star. Rose saw everything she had ever wanted in her daughter’s eyes. A Baby June story, not Dainty June.


Baby June was just a stage name, June was nothing close to a baby. She was ten years old, a few months away from being eleven, two years away from being a teenager. And yet, June had never been to school, June had never made a friend her age, June had never even played with dolls of her own. Perhaps she really was a baby, in the sense that her life was so limited and she had the same boundaries and rules and exceptions as a toddler. Life had basically been the same for June her entire life anyway, her life was built around one day being a star. That's the life Rose Hovick, her mother, had dreamt for her, meaning that June had no say in her future anyhow. Most girls who were serious about ballet began to dance on their toes when they were ten, eight or nine at the earliest. June Hovick had been able to dance on her toes since she was two and a half years old. She could twirl a baton, dance at the level of a professional, cartwheel all around the stage, and had a voice of a bell.

So, why was June so unhappy?

One night after a particular tiring day of auditions and rehearsals, little June Hovick finished her dessert and wandered into the kitchen where Rose was sitting staring at a paper intently, her reading glasses on the rim of her nose. She looked up when she heard the small pitter-patter of little feet, and smiled immediately when she saw her little bundle of joy standing in front of her.

"What's the matter, baby?" She asked, as June sat on the chair across from her, resting her petite legs on her mother's lap. Rose took her little feet and stretched them out for her, giving her a small pat on the knee.

"Mama, I don't know if I wanna do this anymore," she said nonchalantly.

Rose's expression changed immediately, almost watching her entire life flash before her eyes. "Do… what anymore, baby?" She knew exactly what she was talking about.

"The act. Weeze and I were talking. Am I ever really gonna be a star?"

So that's what this was about. Rose sighed and removed her glasses from her eyes, placing them gently on the wooden table. She leaned forward and grabbed her daughter's chin, making sure she was looking into her eyes and paying attention.

"Listen to me Junie," she said, looking into the small child's eyes. Seeing all the innocence in just one small pair of eyes, Rose realized that her daughter hadn't even begun to see the world for what it really was. And it was her job as a mother to make sure she would never. As far as she was concerned, June was going to live her life without a single doubt or unhappiness in her life. Once her daughter was a vaudeville star, or Hell, even better-a _Broadway_ star, she knew the lights her names would be in would be brighter than the sun, bright enough to shoo away all horrible things in life, that _normally _people usually dealt with. If Rose couldn't have that, the next best thing would be to have her daughter have it. After all, it's what they _both_ wanted.

"You, young lady, are going to be a _star," _she said, whispering the last word of the sentence. Her eyes glistened and sparkled, and she suddenly seemed so distant, as she always did when she spoke about this. "You are going to go _so _far, June! We've talked about this before. This is your _calling!_ This is what we want! Don't you wanna make Mama proud?"

June perked up instantly at the mention of impressing her mother. "Of course I do, Mama. Being a star is all I ever want."

Rose smiled at her angelic daughter. There was always a way of being able to talk her into something. She prayed to God that this would never change. "That's my girl," she said, patting her on the head. June was the picture of perfection, even as a little girl. Her blonde curls were always fully in tact, those big, innocent eyes, the glamorous smile that could make anyone within a mile swoon. She was beautiful, she was _her _beautiful star. Rose saw everything she had ever wanted in her daughter's eyes.

"I love you Junebug," she said to her, tapping her lightly on the nose. "And I'm _very_ proud of you." June smiled at her mother, standing up to be her height. Perhaps it was that she had begun dancing on her toes so early in her life, but June was incredibly small for her age, although Rose never brought it up, because she knew she might be sensitive to it. "Now, go take your bath and I'll be in to tuck you in in a minute."

"Alright Mama," she said, embracing her mother. She hopped off and Rose watched her, with a sad smile. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that June wasn't going to be successful, but why would June ever think of quitting the act? Just the thought crossing her mind was enough to send chills down Rose's spine.

_My little Junie will never walk out on me, _she told herself, and just like that, Rose was reassured. She put on her glasses and looked down at the paper in her hand. She was filling out a bunch of audition papers for the act; she just knew that one of the judges out there would have to like her, how could they not? Even though some of the chorus children weren't as good, June was the main spotlight, everyone came just to see June. She used to have her other daughter, Louise, sing her own little solo in the act, but that immediately ended when she realized she didn't have the same star quality as her little sister. So that's when June became the star. How could anyone _not _like her?

Rose picked up an edited version of June's headshot, and looked at it. When she blinked, she saw herself, at ten years old, but when she blinked again, it was only June. She pressed her lips together and went over the picture, making sure there weren't any flaws or blemishes on her face. Nothing there, she was perfect. Her baby was perfect.

It was all there in her eyes; the hard work, the training, the dreams and the hopes of the future. Rose looked into her daughter's eyes and saw a star; a true, beautiful, meant to be, star. Nothing could take that away. She would stop at nothing to get what they both wanted for her. Nothing could ever stop Rose from getting what she really ever wanted.


End file.
